Ertugral worried about City attack ahead of Pirates date – ‘We overcook passes’

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Cape Town City coach Muhsin Ertugral is worried about his team's attacking department just hours before playing Orlando Pirates in the Premier Soccer league assignment.

The Citizens claimed a 1-0 win when the two teams met a couple of weeks ago. In the last two games, Ertugral's men have suffered identical 2-0 losses against Magesi and Chippa United respectively.

The veteran tactician is worried that his team might struggle to get the needed result at the Orlando Stadium.

“Our problem is that we don't score and somehow that results in players dropping their heads. We get into the last third, the box entries are there as we are working on it every day, and the patterns. When you have those entries, the players cut back, overcook passes,” Ertugral said ahead of the game.

City set to do without deadly winger

Darwin Gonzalez Image Cape Town City

“[They [his players] are not precise enough, they shoot when they shouldn't shoot and they go into the middle when they should pass the ball outside, to get the next player outside the line. There's uncertainty in the last third. We need to find solutions.”

Ertugral has further confirmed he will miss a key player on Saturday but his captain is ready, “We have some few problems with injuries, so the squad is a bit thin and we need to find solutions. A player like Darwin [Gonzalez] is missing but Thami [Mkhize] will be available against Pirates,” he concluded.

Pirates are fresh after their game against Golden Arrows on Wednesday bounced owing to a soggy pitch after heavy rains in Mpumalanga. 

They will have to do without the suspended midfielder Kabelo Dlamini. The game will be played from 15.30h SAT.

Ertugral worried about City attack ahead of Pirates date – ‘We overcook passes’

Willis Sob

Willis Sob is an experienced journalist who has been in the game since 2009, covering major assignments around the continent.
His hunger for African football is unmatched, always getting the best angles and facts to feed the fans and quench their thirst.